The University of South Carolina will purchase a sensitive, high performance amino acid analyzer and amino acid sequencer with support from the Biomedical Research Support Shared Instrumentation Program. These instruments will form the basis for a core facility that will provide services to researchers on campus. Seven investigators in the Department of Chemistry and Biology will be major users of this equipment in studies of: (a) the mechanism of diabetes-related protein crosslinking by glucose and effects of free radical reactions on protein structure and aging; (b) the active site environment of thymidylate synthase, and enzyme target for chemotherapeutic agents used in cancer treatment; (c) proteins involved in nuclear DNA condensation during spermatogenesis and in sperm motility; (d) the role of selenium in biomolecules; (e) the molecular basis for interactions between human complement proteins that result in target cell death; (f) the role of alkaline phosphatase and its inducer in mineralization reactions in cartilage; (g) proteins involved in electron transport in photosynthetic bacteria. In addition, twelve auxiliary users will require these instruments in a variety of research projects. The requested equipment will represent a major improvement in biochemical research instrumentation at this University and significantly enhance its ability to support existing and planned research programs.